Cyrus Scofield: Scoundrel or Scholar?
The Definitive Examination of the Man Whose Reference Bible Changed American Christianity.
This is the third article of a five-part series covering these topics:
John Nelson Darby: The Mysterious Father of Dispensationalism
The Scofield Bible and the Zionist Revolution. (coming soon)
Looking Forward to the Kingdom of Heaven. (coming soon)
To discover where Cyrus Scofield fits in the broader history of dispensationalism, please click on articles 1 and 2 above.
Authors Note:
The singular purpose of this third article is to explore the life and character of the American preacher and theologian, C.I. Scofield. This article will not debate the particular merits or flaws of the Scofield Bible or Zionism—my next (fourth) article will do that—and ample resources are already available on the topic.
In this article, we will examine Scofield’s connection to John Nelson Darby and consider whether his meteoric rise to prominence was directed by God’s hand or subtly guided by powerful interests seeking to steer the American church toward Zionism.
Before we proceed, I’d like to emphasize that all men fall short of the glory of God. I do not write this article to condemn a dead man for his sins, but we should consider the Apostle Paul, whom God transformed into a powerful instrument to spread the gospel. Paul had once persecuted Christians—even overseeing their deaths—a far graver offense than anything you will read here about C.I. Scofield. Yet, when God chose Paul, he openly acknowledged his past, without denial, nor did he receive protection from a “Christian industrial complex.” In Scofield’s case, however, both he and his modern defenders consistently avoid addressing the troubling details of his life. This raises an obvious question, what are they trying to hide?
Introduction
Evangelical school libraries are filled with biographies and studies on figures like Charles Spurgeon, D.L. Moody, Billy Sunday, A.W. Tozer, and Billy Graham. One might expect similar shelves—or an entire room—dedicated to C.I. Scofield, one of the most influential figures in American evangelical history and the author of the world famous Scofield Reference Bible. Yet, despite his impact, only two comprehensive biographies of Cyrus Scofield exist, and American Christians know almost nothing about him.
“The Scofield Reference Bible, contributed more than any other single work, to the spread of dispensationalism in the USA”(1) - Vern Poythress | Westminster Theological Seminary
“The Scofield Reference Bible gave countless readers a framework for understanding prophecy…it has shaped modern Christian views on Israel, creating Christian Zionist support that continues to this day.”(2) - Tim LaHaye | Author of Left Behind
C.I. Scofield remains an enigma, and this is no accident. His life is shrouded in mystery not only due to his elusive nature but also because—this author believes—powerful interests have deliberately obscured his story for over a century.
In 1921, the nationally known Yale journalist Charles Trumbull, wrote a glowing biography of C.I. Scofield, a work that has profoundly shaped public perception of Scofield’s life until today. However, many of Trumbull’s claims do not withstand scrutiny and can be contradicted by public records. In this article, I will frequently reference Trumbull’s account to contrast widely held beliefs about Scofield with the verifiable facts.
Scofield’s Early Life
Cyrus Ingerson Scofield was born in Clinton, Michigan, in 1843, the youngest child of Elias and Abigail Scofield, who owned a lumberyard. Tragically, his mother passed away a few months after his birth, leaving his older sister, Emeline, as his legal guardian. Friendly accounts of his childhood depict him as a bright and inquisitive boy with a voracious appetite for the classics, devouring works such as Homer and The Iliad. Though Scofield rarely spoke of his early years, he would later describe his parents as nominal Episcopalians.
At 17 years old, Cyrus traveled from Michigan to Tennessee to visit his sister Laura, who had recently moved there after her marriage. Despite popular belief and Cyrus’s own statements, the Scofield family had no real roots in Tennessee, but the perception of Scofield as a “Southern-born” preacher who fought for the confederacy would later serve him well in his career. During his visit with his sister, the Civil War erupted, and he enlisted in the 7th Regiment of Tennessee out of Sumner County, claiming to be 21 years old to meet the age requirement (3).
Within a year of his enlistment, he wrote to Confederate General George Randolph requesting a discharge due to illness, which was granted. He was honorably discharged, though he received no formal decoration. Scofield’s biographer Charles Trumbull, mistakenly claimed that he was awarded a “Cross of Honor” by the Confederate army—a detail Scofield also often spoke about nostalgically in his sermons, decades later. In reality, the Confederacy issued no such decoration. The Cross of Honor was a post-war recognition given to Scofield (and all other living confederate soldiers) by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, yet neither he nor his biographers ever clarified this distinction.
Following his discharge in 1862, C.I. Scofield essentially vanished for five years, with no records detailing his activities during this time. He reappeared in 1866, settling with his sister’s affluent family in St. Louis. His brother-in-law, Sylvester Papin—a wealthy Frenchman and president of the St. Louis Board of Assessors—helped Scofield launch a career in law, allowing him to work as an apprentice out of his own office.
In 1867, Cyrus met Leontine Cerré, a young woman from another prominent French family. They married soon after and had two daughters, Abigail and Marie Helene, before relocating to Atchison, Kansas, in 1869. At the time of the relocation, Scofield remained a fledging lawyer with a small income, yet he was supporting a household of seven: his wife, two daughters, a brother-in-law, and two servants. It’s highly likely he was relying on his wife’s dowry to sustain their household, as his legal career did not, and would never, bring in significant earnings.
Scofield’s Political Rise and Fall
When Cyrus Scofield moved his family to Kansas, he soon partnered with a newly appointed U.S. Senator, John J. Ingalls. In this brief article, I won’t delve into extensive details, but multiple sources claim that John Ingalls, a New England transplant, was directly connected to the Boston-based “Secret Six.” This influential group of men were allegedly using Kansas as a political testing ground, with Ingalls as a key instrument in their experiment.
It was John Ingalls who recommended Scofield for the position of U.S. District Attorney for Kansas to then-President Ulysses S. Grant. Upon taking the oath of office, the former Confederate soldier solemnly swore that he had “never voluntarily borne arms against the United States since I have been a citizen thereof”—a clear instance of perjury. Nevertheless, Scofield secured the position, becoming the youngest district attorney in the country at 29 years old.
However, Scofield’s term as D.A. ended within six months. Just as he was being implicated in a high-profile blackmail scandal, he submitted his resignation to President Grant. Reports suggested that railroad money had been paid as bribery to Scofield and his partner, Ingalls, to prevent a former U.S. Senator from being brought to trial. The Daily Commonwealth, in its December 20, 1873, issue (4), described the affair as “the most infamous of all infamous political bargains ever transacted in Kansas.” Yet, as swiftly as his resignation and the accusations surfaced, the stories of corruption also seemed to vanish.
At this point, we enter another period of mystery in Scofield’s life. Now in his early 30's and responsible for supporting a family of four, he once again disappears for five more years. He resurfaces in St. Louis in 1877, after abandoning his family in Atchison, though he remained married to Leontine.
While his chief biographer, Charles Trumbull, claims that Scofield returned to St. Louis to practice law, records show he was never admitted to the St. Louis bar. Instead, between 1877 and 1879, Scofield was more frequently in need of legal defense than practicing law. Court records reveal a series of lawsuits against him for unpaid debts, forged signatures, and other minor claims. His financial schemes grew more serious, and he was eventually convicted of forgery—by his own sister—and spent six months in the St. Louis jail. He also defrauded his mother-in-law of $1,300 in gold, a debt he never repaid, even when he later had the means.
“How do you go from a guy trying to con your mother-in-law out of 1300 bucks, to writ[ing] an internationally known best selling study Bible?” - Pastor Rick Wiles | Faith and Values
During this turbulent period, Scofield wandered between locations, even taking on the alias “Charles Ingerson” and frequenting hotels in Wisconsin while posing as a wealthy cotton plantation owner from Mobile, Alabama. The October 3, 1878 edition of the Milwaukee Daily Sentinel states the following (5):
Cyrus Schofield [sic] alias Chas. Ingerson, who has been hanging around here since the first of July, and who figured conspicuously at the Metropolitan Hotel in Milwaukee a year ago, was arrested here Tuesday morning on a charge of forgery, dispatches having been received by Deputy Sheriff A.E. Hart from parties in St. Louis to hold Mr. Schofield [sic] until an officer should arrive to take him in charge. Mr. Hart lodged the gentleman in our county jail, where he awaits the arrival of the Chief of Police of St. Louis.
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